One of the key challenges in the race to commercialize fuel cells for vehicle applications is developing membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) that can meet industry durability targets. Polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) are the most promising membranes for automotive applications. These membranes serve to conduct protons from the anode electrode to the cathode electrode of the fuel cell while preventing the crossover of reactant gases, hydrogen and oxygen. State-of-the-art PEM fuel cells for high power density operations utilize perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes that are typically about 25 microns thick or less. To be successful in automotive applications, these membranes must survive tenures of vehicle operation or 5500 hours of operation including transient conditions and start-stop and freeze-thaw cycles. The requirements on the chemical and mechanical stability of these thin membranes are significantly more demanding compared to the thicker membranes (100-200 μm) used in the past. Fuel cells cannot operate effectively if even small amounts of these gases are allowed to permeate through the membrane through, for example, microscopic pinholes in the membrane. Ultimately, fuel cells fail because such pinholes develop and propagate within the polymer membranes.